Paramount, CBS settle discrimination lawsuit over DEI policies punishing straight White males
As CBS and its parent company Paramount Global navigate a high-stakes lawsuit from President Donald Trump, the media conglomerate quietly settled another lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against straight, White male employees.
In 2024, former "SEAL Team" script coordinator and writer Brian Beneker sued Paramount Global, CBS Entertainment and CBS Studios for unlawful discrimination for repeatedly denying him career advancement based on his race, sex and sexual orientation.
According to America First Legal (AFL), who represented Beneker in the case, both sides ultimately agreed to a settlement after what AFL senior counsel Nick Barry described as satisfactory moves by Paramount to publicly back away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) polices.
'60 Minutes' Producer's Abrupt Exit Fuels Drama At Cbs News As Network Battles Trump Lawsuit
"America First Legal is pleased to see Paramount and CBS publicly back off their DEI requirements and return to merit-based considerations. Diversity quotas that discriminate on the basis of race are unlawful. Others in the entertainment industry should take note," Barry said in a statement on Monday.
Fox News Digital reached out to CBS and Paramount for comment.
Read On The Fox News App
An AFL spokesperson also told Fox News Digital that there will be no further legal action in the case.
The original lawsuit claimed that, despite working on the show since its first season in 2017, Beneker was repeatedly denied promotion to full-time staff writer while minority writers were hired with little to no experience.
When confronting the showrunner, Beneker claimed he was told that he did not "check any diversity boxes" to warrant advancement.
The AFL also cited past comments from then-CBS CEO George Cheeks in 2020 announcing efforts to ensure 40% of all writers' rooms have "BIPOC representation" for the 2021-22 season, with the goal of increasing the figure to 50% for the 2022-23 season.
In February 2025, Paramount Global heads informed employees that it would be rolling back these initiatives in the wake of Trump's re-election and anti-DEI policies.
This included no longer using "aspirational numerical goals" for hiring and ending its policy of collecting race, ethnicity, sex or gender data of potential applicants except when legally required.
Cnn's Jake Tapper Rips Paramount Owner As Cbs Fights High-stakes Legal Battle With Trump
This announcement came as Paramount Global agreed to mediation with Trump's legal team earlier this month, signaling a settlement of the $20 billion lawsuit against them.
Trump is seeking $20 billion in a lawsuit against CBS, alleging election interference over its handling of a "60 Minutes" interview last year with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The president accused the network of aiding his 2024 Democratic opponent through deceptive editing just weeks before the presidential election.Original article source: Paramount, CBS settle discrimination lawsuit over DEI policies punishing straight White males
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Associated Press
17 minutes ago
- Associated Press
ABC's Terry Moran is suspended following his social media post calling Trump and Miller haters
NEW YORK (AP) — ABC News has suspended correspondent Terry Moran for calling Trump administration deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller a 'world class hater' in a since-deleted social media post. Moran's post was swiftly condemned by officials in the Republican administration, including Vice President J.D. Vance. ABC News, in a statement, said it 'stands for objectivity and impartiality in its news coverage and does not condone subjective personal attacks on others.' The New York-based network said Moran was suspended pending further evaluation. Moran, who interviewed President Donald Trump a few weeks ago, said in his post on X at 12:06 a.m. on Sunday that the president was a world-class hater, too. But he wrote that for the president, his hatred is a means to an end, 'and that end is his own glorification.' For Miller, Moran's post said, 'his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate.' Vance, on X, said that Moran's post was 'dripping with hatred.' The vice president wrote: 'Remember that every time you watch ABC's coverage of the Trump administration.' Miller, on X, said Moran's 'full public meltdown' exposed the corporate press. 'For decades, the privileged anchor and reporters narrating and gatekeeping our society have been radicals adopting a journalist's pose. Terry pulled off his mask.'


The Hill
22 minutes ago
- The Hill
US, Chinese trade negotiators meeting in London
Top U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting in London on Monday to try to fortify the countries' temporary trade truce, which is currently on track to expire in August. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer are in the U.K. for the talks with Chinese Vice President He Lifeng. It's unclear how long negotiations could last, but Chinese officials have predicted they could extend several days. 'The two sides need to make good use of the economic and trade consultation mechanism already in place, and seek win-win results in the spirit of equality and respect for each other's concerns,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian wrote in a post on X ahead of the meeting. 'The Chinese side is sincere about this, and at the same time has its principles.' President Trump confirmed plans for the London confab last week after a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who the president has described as 'extremely hard to make a deal with.' 'The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries,' Trump wrote in a social media post Thursday. The two sides have been attempting to hash out a long-term trade agreement following Trump's announcement of sweeping tariff hikes on most countries in April. The Trump administration urged countries last week to come forward with deals more favorable to U.S. interests. U.S. and Chinese leaders brokered their temporary pause in the tariff hikes after meeting in Geneva last month. Under that arrangement, the U.S. lowered its tariff rate on Chinese goods from 145 percent to 30 percent, and China agreed to lower its tariff to 10 percent from 125 percent for 90 days. China's exports to the U.S. were down 35 percent in May compared to last year, according to the latest analysis from Dutch multinational banking and financial services firm ING Group, adding pressure ahead of the latest round of meetings between the two countries. 'Exports to the U.S. surprisingly decelerated despite the trade war reprieve,' ING's analysts wrote. 'We expect that export growth to the US could recover in the coming months.' 'We could see import front-loading amid the still elevated risk that tariffs could once again move higher in light the uncertainty about trade talks over the past month,' the firm added.

Washington Post
23 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Live updates: L.A. protests disperse but more planned after dozens arrested
Further protests are expected in the Los Angeles area Monday, after a weekend where more than 50 protesters were arrested as anti-ICE demonstrators clashed with law enforcement. The Trump administration ordered the deployment of more than 2,000 National Guard personnel in an effort to quell the protests, prompting California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to say he plans to sue the administration. The Service Employees International Union is holding a rally in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon in support of David Huerta, president of SEIU California, the state's largest public-sector union. Huerta was arrested Friday on charges of obstruction during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid last week. He is expected to be arraigned in federal court Monday.